Hello Asobo Team,
I’d like to submit a Wishlist request regarding VFR lighting realism, specifically the timing and transition from usable daylight to night.
In Microsoft Flight Simulator, the loss of usable visual references (roads, terrain contrast, cultural lighting) often occurs too abruptly, particularly in:
-
Rural / plains regions
-
Mountain and high-desert areas
-
Areas with sparse cultural lighting
-
Over water and valleys
In real-world VFR operations, pilots rely on a gradual degradation of visual cues through civil twilight. While brightness decreases, references such as roads, terrain edges, and populated areas remain usable for longer than they currently do in MSFS.
In the simulator, however, these references often disappear much earlier, creating artificial VFR no-go conditions even when:
-
Weather is clear
-
Visibility is unlimited
-
Winds are calm
-
Terrain is known
This effectively forces pilots to adopt sim-specific personal minimums that would not be required in equivalent real-world conditions.
To be clear, this request is not about:
-
Making nights brighter
-
Reducing darkness
-
Ignoring night realism
It’s about improving the timing, gradualness, and regional awareness of the daylight-to-night transition so that VFR decision-making more closely matches real-world expectations.
A more realistic transition would significantly enhance:
-
VFR training value
-
Cross-country planning realism
-
Personal minimums that align with real aviation, not simulator limitations
Thank you for considering this request, and for the continued work on lighting and atmospheric realism.
Best regards,
Kevin